Director of Faculty Programs

Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University

John cultivated his interest in teaching during 10 years of teaching philosophy and religious studies at a small liberal arts college. He began collaborating with CNDLS on the Visible Knowledge Project while he was Assistant Director for Technology at the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. He worked with CNDLS as a Scholar-in-Residence in the Fall of 2002, and eventually joined CNDLS full-time in January 2004. He directs programming for the Doyle Faculty fellows and also works on the Engelhard Project. He also oversees the Apprenticeship in Teaching program and develops and facilitates workshops on teaching for both faculty and graduate students at Georgetown. He's particularly interested in how "communities of practice" structure what counts as reasonable thinking and practice in those communities. He teaches regularly in Georgetown's Theology department.


CNDLS Executive Committee

  • Randall Bass, Ph.D.
    Executive Director and Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning Initiatives,
    Associate Professor, Department of English
  • Edward Maloney, Ph.D.
    Managing Director and Director of Research and Learning Technologies,
    Visiting Professor, Department of English
  • John Rakestraw, Ph.D.
    Director of Faculty Programs,
    Professorial Lecturer, Department of Philosophy
  • Janet Russell, Ph.D.
    Director for Science Programs and Instructional Technology

CNDLS Staff

CNDLS Graduate Associates

CNDLS' Graduate Student Associates (GAs) share our staff's enthusiasm for all that fosters the scholarship of teaching and learning. Every Graduate Associate is an integral part of the CNDLS team and participates fully in the atmosphere of open communication, teamwork, and sharing of knowledge and ideas. GAs dedicate most of their time to working closely with Georgetown University faculty members and students on academic and professional projects; they also participate in a variety of CNDLS and university-wide projects and events.

CNDLS Undergraduate Assistants